Intel to debut 90-nm 'Banias' processor in 2H '03

SAN JOSE--During the Microprocessor Forum here today, Intel Corp. described a few more details of its next-generation mobile microprocessor, including plans to push the chip down to the 90-nm (0.09-micron) node in the second half of 2003.

For months, Intel has been hyping the new mobile processor, code-named Banias. Slated for introduction in the first quarter of 2003, the initial Banias chip is a 0.13-micron device that is expected to operate at 1.4-, 1.5-, and 1.6-GHz, according to analysts.

The company is also developing 90-nm versions of the processor, said Mooly Eden, director of Intel's Israel Design Center, the R&D site for the Banias project. "Banias will also be manufactured at 90-nm," Eden said during a presentation at the Microprocessor Forum.

The 90-nm Banias chip is reportedly due out in the second half of 2003, according to Intel's roadmap. The company is also developing a 90-nm desktop processor, code-named "Prescott."

Meanwhile, for some time, Intel has stated it will sell Banias as part of a systems solution. In doing so, the company will sell the Banias processor, chip set, and a wireless LAN solution on the same board.

During the Intel Developer Forum (IDF) last month, the company also disclosed the Banias would also include "advanced branch predication" and radio-frequency (RF) "scan" technologies (see Sept. 10 story ).

The systems solution is geared for notebook PCs, sub-notebooks, and tablet systems, Eden said. "Banias is not a point solution," Eden said. "It's a family of products," he said in the presentation.

As expected, the company will push two types of Banias platforms. The first platform will include the processor, the "Odem" chip set, and the "Calexico" WLAN solution. The "Odem" chip set is a discrete device that supports AGP4X graphics, while the WLAN solution is an internally-developed, standalone chip for use in 802.11a/b operations.

The second platform will include the processor, the "Montara" chip set, and "Calexico." The "Montara" is an integrated graphics chip set.